Murtala: The new torch bearer of Yar’adua family faces a long political race

Yar’adua’s father, the late Alhaji Musa, was a member of the Katsina Emirate Council Cabinet. He held the royal title of Mutawalle (custodian of the treasury) of the emirate. He was adjudged as a renowned aristocrat. His involvement in the political activities of Nigeria since the struggle for independence fetched him the position of a […]

Yar’adua’s father, the late Alhaji Musa, was a member of the Katsina Emirate Council Cabinet. He held the royal title of Mutawalle (custodian of the treasury) of the emirate. He was adjudged as a renowned aristocrat. His involvement in the political activities of Nigeria since the struggle for independence fetched him the position of a minister during the Nigeria’s first post-independence government. He was appointed as the minister for Lagos in 1960s. Musa was a respected parliamentarian and staunch member of the defunct Northern Peoples Congress (NPC).

Since then, the descendents of late Musa Yar’adua continue to flourished one after the other beginning with late Major General Sheuhu Musa Yar’adua (rtd). Shehu, born on March 5, 1943 was to strengthen the family’s political pedigree when he served as Chief of Staff Supreme Headquarters when Olusegun Obasanjo was Nigeria’s military ruler during from 1976 to 1979 after the assassination of the then Head of State, Gen. Murtala Mohammed. He was equally worked as Federal Commissioner for Transport when he was Colonel.

He was a Nigerian businessman, soldier, and politician. He was the older brother of current Nigerian President Umaru Yar’adua. Following on his training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in Sandhurst, England, Yar’adua participated in the Nigerian Civil War. When Olusegun Obasanjo was military head of state from 1976 until 1979, Yar’adua was his Vice President.

After shedding off the military khaki and jackboots in 1979, his post-military career was outstanding. He ventured into business and eventually had a good smile to do. He later established the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), a national organisation that cut across the six geo-political zones in the country. But that failed to endure.

The Nigerian major general (ret.) and former vice president in Geneneral Olusegun Obasanjo’s military government (1976-79) who, amid international protests, was convicted in 1995 of conspiring to overthrow Gen. Sani Abacha’s Provisional Ruling Council and reestablish civilian rule. Eventually, he had a life jail term to serve, thereby casting darkness on his political history. Yar’adua died while serving a 25-year prison term.

Yar’adua’s younger brother Umaru Yar’adua became president of Nigeria in 2007, though for much of his life, Umaru was overshadowed by his older brother, Shehu, who played a leading role in the coup which installed Obasanjo as a military leader during the 1970s.

After the demise of the late Shehu Yar’adua, the family’s mantle of leadership fell on the shoulders of Umaru who, between 1979 and 1983, had been a member of the leftist Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) while his father was briefly the national vice chairman of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN).

Umaru later became a member of the Peoples Front (PF), one of the dominant groups which shaped the Social Democratic Party (SDP), one of the two political parties that held sway during the transition programme of ex-President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida. He contested for the governorship of Katsina State under the SDP but lost to Alhaji Saidu Barda of the National Republican Convention (NRC).

Following the death of his elder brother, Shehu he then got elected to govern the state under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from 1999 to 2007 for two terms. And a few months to the expiration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s second term, the race for the presidency elicited wide interest. No fewer than 10 governors jostled for the coveted seat in Aso Rock. Surprisingly, when Umaru felt it was time for him to either go back to the classrooms or retire into the warm embrace of his family, then President Obasanjo became a willing tool in the hands of providence.

Yar’adua was not able to go round Nigeria during campaigns as he fell sick and was flown to Germany for medical attention. While there, rumour flew around that he had given up the ghost; but it later turned out to be false. Yar’adua suffered kidney disease for 10 years before contracting another disease, pericarditis (an inflammatory disease around the heart).

Shortly, before the demise of President Yar’adua, the then Acting President Goodluck Jonathan while making a cabinet reshuffle, he nominated the son of late Shehu Yar’adua, Murtala among the names to be screened by the Senate for ministerial position. Although, no clear picture really presented itself as to whether the gesture was to resurrect the family name, following Yar’adua’s sickness, reports suggested that the attempt to bring in Murtala into the new cabinet has thrown the President Yar’adua’s clan into confusion.

The report indicated that Yar’adua’s nephew has been under pressure to reject his nomination as minister. Some people loyal to the ailing President were said to have made attempts to persuade Murtala Yar’adua, not to accept the offer of ministerial appointment from the Acting President.

They were said to have told Murtala that his nomination was aimed at causing disaffection within the Yar’adua family and create the impression that the President had been abandoned by his kinsmen. But Murtala was said to have insisted there was no going back.

He was also was not the choice of the state government under the leadership of Governor Ibrahim Shema who had had previously sacked Yar’adua’s cousin Aminu, hitherto the Secretary to the Katsina State Government without notifying Yar’adua, the case believed to have kick-started political bad blood between Yar’adua and Shema.

However, as if fate would have it, Yar’adua’s mother and Murtala’s grandmother, Hajiya Dada, she gave her blessing to Murtala, which signaled the fact that he could go ahead to accept the nomination and take up the job to serve in the new cabinet. Her endorsement cleared the air for him to overcome the family tension on the matter. He accepted and became Minister of State for Defense.

Though Murtala did not want to go against the wishes of his family or allow the issue to create any disaffection in the family, which was why he decided to consult extensively within the length and breadth of the entire family over his ministerial appointment, the painful end of Umaru’s life may not sound the death knell to the political influence Yar’adua family.

It becomes apparent now, that, hope is pinned on Murtala, his nephew (the late General Shehu’s son) being the only surviving member of Yar’adua family holding a high governmental position of Minister of State for Defence under President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration after the demise of President Umar Yar’adua.

Born on March 26, 1970, Murtala is a holder of an Associate of Arts Degree in Management from Richmond College, United Kingdom in 1994. He also attended Southeastern University, London, England from 1994-1997 and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management and an MBA degree in Financial Management.

Murtala, is holding the traditional title of Tafidan Kastina and serves as Director of Intel Services Ltd, Port Harcourt; Hamada Holdings Nigeria Ltd, Kaduna; Nation House Press, Kaduna. He also serves as a member of the Board Directors of Bank PHB Plc, and the Shehu Musa Yar’adua Foundation before his recent ministerial appointment.

An investment analyst, banker, venture capitalist, industrialist and philanthropist, before his ministerial appointment, he is reputed to have had a robust working career in the private sector spanning over ten years.

Coming from a highly politically motivated family, the question many asked now is whether or not Murtala has the brawn and indeed, the will to fly the flag of his family’s political inheritance as there is no clear cut evidence as whether he is interested in politics. Despite this, however, some political observers are of the view that since he is now visible and is placed on a vantage position, he looks good to continue to fly the banner of the Yar’adua political dynasty.